Does it look bad to take the SAT three times?

Test Preparation
1

<p>I recently got my third set of scores back, but now I'm wondering if colleges won't look at my tests and assume I was just trying to pad my superscore with no real effort. If it matters, here are my scores:</p>

<p>1st Time: M(800), CR(670), W(700) -- 2170
2nd Time: M(740), CR(710), W(720) -- 2170
3rd Time: M(770), CR(700), W(800) -- 2270</p>

<p>Superscore: M(800), CR(710), W(800) -- 2310</p>

2

<p>Taking it 3 times looks fine to me. Many people do that anyway.</p>

<p>PS: My scores are almost identical to yours, lol.</p>

3

<p>You’re usually advised not to take it more than twice, because in general times after that don’t help much. But taking it three times certainly isn’t going to reflect badly on you.</p>

4

<p>I think up till three times is okay- that’s usually the “magic number.” Taking it more than three times is a risk though, I’d say.</p>

<p>But this is only under the assumption that you’re confident that you can get the score you want, or something signficantly higher than your last score.</p>

5

<p>Yes. Don’t take it again. Subscores over 700 show you can do the work at the college level. I’m a voluntary college advisor; I tell kids that taking it more than twice, with little difference in the scores, looks obsessive. You’re better off putting more time and effort into your essays.</p>

6

<p>

</p>

<p>That is not good advice. I recommend that you familiarize yourself and your advisees with Score Choice: [Score</a> Choice - New SAT Score-Reporting Policy](<a href=“http://professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/sat-reasoning/scores/policy]Score”>Send SAT Scores to Colleges - SAT Suite | College Board).</p>

7

<p>Silverturtle, IMO, Score Choice (SC) helps the College Board (reputation-wise) more than it helps applicants. The applicant cannot submit different subscores, only scores from a particular test date. It helps only if each subscore of a certain test date is lower than another; then it is worth eliminating from submission. Otherwise, schools usually “superscore” to the aplicant’s advantage, so using SC will actually hurt. Aditionally, not every elite school even accepts SC. Each person’s situation is different and advice should be individualized, so your statement about “not good advice” is a bit dogmatic.</p>

8

<p>

</p>

<p>The need for individualized advice is exactly why my characterization of your seemingly blanket policy is correct. If an applicant takes the test a third time and improves, he or she can hide the previous tests, thereby precluding any presumptions of obsession. How does this benefit the College Board, and why is this not a perfectly viable approach and one in contradiction with your advice?</p>

9

<p>Yeahhh neuron, your argument isn’t really valid…</p>